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.J. R. PRUYN.

I TELEPHONE TABLET. No. 492,587. 7 Patented-Feb. 28, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. PRUYN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES J.MILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONE-TABLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 492,587, dated February28, 1893. Application filed December 16, 1892. Serial No. 455,351- (Nomodel.)

T0 00% whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. PRUYN, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Tablets, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tablets or writing attachmentsfor telephones, and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various partsthereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specificallyclaimed. a

The objects of my invention are first, to provide an adjustable orattachable shelf or desk, which is provided on its upper surface withwriting material, and which may be readily attached or detached from thelid of the telephone battery-box; and second, such a device which shallbe simple and inexpensive in construction, yet strong and durable, andby reason of its form will afiord a more extensive surface and otherconveniences than are presented by the lid of the-batterybox, which isordinarily used as a rest upon which writing is done.

In order to enableothers skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is anisometrical view of my tablet, and a portion of the telephone, as itappears when in position thereon and ready for use. Fig. 2, is asectional View, taken on line 2, 2, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a plan view ofthe tablet detached from the telephone. Fig. 4, is a longitudinalsectional view of the tablet, taken on line 4, 4, of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, isan enlarged detail view of a modification of the paper-tablet securingdevice. Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail View of one of the adjustablesecuring plates. And Fig. 7, is a similar view of the other securingplate.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the difierent views ofthe drawings.

A, represents a telephone-transmitter or receiver, which is supplied asusual with a battery-box B, and is designed to be secured to the wall ofa room or other supporting sur face. The box 13, is provided with a lidor top I), which is slightly inclined from its rear portion toward itsfront, and has its perimeter somewhat extended over the sides and frontof the box B, as is shown in the drawings.

My tablet or writing attachmentis designed to rest partially on the topof the lid 12, and to engage with the sides of said lid, as will bepresently explained.

The tablet or attachment is composed of a board C, which may be made ofany suitable size, form and material, but preferably of wood, andsubstantially of the form illustrated in the drawings.

To the upper surface of the board C, is secured by means of screws orotherfastenings a slate or black-board D, which may cover the entireupper surface of the board C, or may extend over a portion only of saidsurface, as is shown, thus leaving a portion of the board C, uncoveredby the slate, upon which uncovered portion may be placed a quantity, ortablet, of paper E, which is firmly secured at one end by means of aflat plate 0, having in each of its ends openings to receive thesecuring bolts (1, which bolts are passed through the openings in theplates 0, and suitable holes or opening in the board C, near one of itsends and rear edge. The lower portions of the bolts (1, arescrew-threaded to engage with suitable set or thumb-screws e, which areplaced beneath the board 0, and when tightened draw the plate 0, firmlydown, and cross wise of one end of the paper-tablet. In order to preventthe bolts d, from turning in the openings in the plate 0, I form saidopenings and the upper portions of the bolts (1, square, or of a formother than cylindrical.

To the lower surface of the board C, and near each end thereof, aretransversely secured cleats a, anda' which serve to strengthen theboard, and to prevent the same from warping. To the inner surface andabout the middle of the cleat a is adjustably secured by means of set orthumb-screws f, a securing ing plate F, which is usually formedsubstantially L-shaped in cross-section, and is provided with one ormore vertical slots h, through which the set-screws f, are passed, andby means of which the plate F, is adjustably secured to the said cleat.As is clearly seen in Figs. 3, and 4, the plate F, is formed at itslower portion with a flange F, which flange extends inwardly from thecleat ct, and is adapted to engage with the edge of the lid of thebattery-box. My object in providing the plate F, with the vertical slotsh, is to allow it to be adjusted to lids of different thicknesses, forit is obvious that by moving the plate vertically on the set-screws f,it can be made to engage or clamp boards or lids of Various sizes.

Ata suitable point and about mid-way longitudinally of the board 0, issecured a set or thumb-screw g, which extends slightly beneath the lowersurface of the board, and is adapted to engage the adjustable securingplate H, which is formed as shown in Figs. 4, and 7, with a flat plateh, havingalongitudinal slot or opening k extending from its rear portionforward, and its front end bent downwardly at substantially a rightangle with the plate 71/, as at 71 and then formed with a horizontal andinwardly extending flange h, which, when the board is in position on thebattery-box engages with the opposite edge of the lid 19, from thatclamped by the plate F.

As is seen and will be readily understood the plate H, is adjustablelongitudinally by reason of its slot k within which operates the screwg, and may be also adjusted to lids of different thicknesses, orvertical, by means of the thumb-piece or nut g, which engages the lowerend of the screw g, by loosening or tightening said nut, as isobvious.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modification of the device for securing thepaper tablet, which I may sometimes employ instead of the plate a, andbolt-s d, which consists of a piece of wire I, which maybe eithercylindrical in shape or rectangular, but preferably of the latter form,for the reason that it will then present a cutting edge to the paper.This wire is bent into substantially the form shown in Fig. 5, and hasthe lower portions of each of its ends screw-threaded to receive the thumb-pieces or nuts.

When this modificacation is used the piece I, is placed crosswise thetablet E, with its two ends inserted through suitable openings in theboard 0, and is clamped down on the tablet by means of the nuts 2',which are placed on the ends of the piece I, beneath the board 0, aswill be readily understood.

From the above description it is apparent that my tablet or writingattachment may be easily attached to the battery-box by placing theboard on the top thereof, when the securing plate F, will engage one ofits edges and the plate I-I, may be adjusted to its opposite edge, thusfirmly securing the entire device in position and affording an extendedshelf or rest upon which to write.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the board 0, having the writing surface D, withthe adjustable plates F, and H, secured to its lower surface,substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the board 0, having the writing surface D, and atablet of. paper E, secured to its upper surface, with the adljustableplates F, and H, secured to its lower surface, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

, 3..The combination of the board 0,- having the slateD', secured to itsupper surface and the cleats a, and a, to its lower surface, with theplate a, and securing rods d, havingtheir lower portions screw-threaded,the thumbscrews (2, to engage said bolts and adapted to draw the platedown on thetablet E,-theplate

